Digital content purchase offers via set-top box

Abstract

A network device receives details of a purchase offer for digital content, where the purchase offer includes a price for the digital content at a required customer purchasing participation threshold, and where the required customer purchasing participation threshold includes a number of customers that must agree to purchase the digital content at the price for the purchase offer to be fulfilled. The network device targets multiple customers based on customer profile data, and presents the purchase offer to the multiple customers, via multiple different devices associated with respective ones of the multiple customers, during the offer period. The network device charges participating customers the purchase offer price, if the purchasing participation threshold is reached by expiration of the offer period; and notifies the participating customers of expiration of the purchase offer, if the purchasing participation threshold is not reached by the expiration of the offer period.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 presenting, to a first customer via a first device, a purchase offer for digital content, during an offer period, wherein the purchase offer includes a price at a required purchasing participation threshold;   receiving input from the first customer at the first device;   determining, at the first device, if the first customer agrees to the purchase offer based on the first customer's input;   presenting to the first customer a current status associated with the purchase offer, the current status including a current customer participation in the purchase offer, the required purchasing participation threshold, and time remaining in the offer period; and   presenting, to the first customer, a link to the current status of the purchase offer at a social networking site.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the required purchasing participation threshold comprises a number of customers that must agree to purchase the digital content at the price for the purchase offer to be fulfilled. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the current customer participation in the purchase offer comprises a number of customers that has currently agreed to purchase the digital content at the price. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 targeting a group of customers based on customer profile data, wherein the group comprises the first customer and a second customer.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first device comprises one of a set-top box (STB), a cellular telephone; a desktop, laptop, palmtop, or tablet computer; or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 presenting, to the second customer via a second device, the purchase offer for the digital content, during the offer period, wherein the purchase offer includes the price at the specific required purchasing participation threshold;   receiving input from the second customer at the second device;   determining, at the second device, if the second customer agrees to the purchase offer based on the second customer's input;   presenting to the second customer the current status associated with the purchase offer, the current status including the current customer participation in the purchase offer; the required purchasing participation threshold, and time remaining in the offer period; and   presenting, to the second customer, the link to the current status of the purchase offer at the social networking site.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether the required purchasing participation threshold has been reached by expiration of the offer period.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 charging the purchase offer price to the first customer, and making the digital content available to the first customer, if the purchasing participation threshold was reached by expiration of the offer period.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the digital content is made available to the first customer at a second device that is different than the first device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 notifying the first customer that the purchase offer has expired, and that the purchase offer will not be fulfilled, if the purchasing participation threshold was not reached by expiration of the offer period.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining the purchase offer based on customer profile data, wherein the customer profile data comprises a profile of customer viewing, renting or purchasing behavior.   
     
     
         12 . A device, comprising:
 a communication interface configured to receive data, via Internet Protocol (IP), that details a purchase offer for digital content, wherein the purchase offer includes a price at a specific required purchasing participation threshold and an offer period,   wherein the required purchasing participation threshold comprises a number of customers that must agree to purchase the digital content at the price for the purchase offer to be fulfilled; and   a processor configured to:
 present, to a first customer, the purchase offer for the product or service during the offer period, 
 determine if the first customer agrees to the purchase offer based on first customer input, 
 present, to the first customer, a current status associated with the purchase offer, the current status including a current customer participation in the purchase offer, the required purchasing participation threshold, and time remaining in the offer period, 
 wherein the current customer participation in the purchase offer comprises a number of customers that has currently agreed to purchase the product or service at the price, and 
 present, to the first customer, a link to a status of the purchase offer at a social networking site. 
   
     
     
         13 . The network device of  claim 12 , wherein the device comprises one of a set-top box (STB), a cellular telephone; a desktop, laptop, palmtop, or tablet computer; or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). 
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a purchase offer for digital content, wherein the purchase offer includes a price for the digital content at a required customer purchasing participation threshold;   targeting a group of customers based on customer profile data;   presenting the purchase offer to the group of customers, via a network and multiple devices, during the offer period;   charging participating customers from the group of customers the purchase offer price, if the purchasing participation threshold is reached by expiration of the offer period; and   notifying the participating customers of expiration of the purchase offer, if the purchasing participation threshold is not reached by the expiration of the offer period.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the required customer purchasing participation threshold comprises a number of customers that must agree to purchase the digital content at the price for the purchase offer to be fulfilled. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the devices each comprises one of a set-top box (STB), a cellular telephone; a desktop, laptop, palmtop, or tablet computer; or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 making the digital content to the participating customers if the purchasing participation threshold is reached by the expiration of the offer period.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 presenting the purchase offer to the group of customers via a network using Internet Protocol (IP).   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining the digital content, the price or the required customer purchasing participation threshold based on the customer profile data.   
     
     
         20 . A network device, comprising:
 a communication interface connected to a network;   a processor unit configured to:
 receive details of a purchase offer for digital content, wherein the purchase offer includes a price for the digital content at a required customer purchasing participation threshold, wherein the required customer purchasing participation threshold comprises a number of customers that must agree to purchase the digital content at the price for the purchase offer to be fulfilled, 
 target multiple customers based on customer profile data, 
 present the purchase offer to the multiple customers, via the communication interface, the network, and multiple different devices associated with respective ones of the multiple customers, during the offer period; 
 charge participating customers the purchase offer price, if the purchasing participation threshold is reached by expiration of the offer period; and 
 notify the participating customers of expiration of the purchase offer, if the purchasing participation threshold is not reached by the expiration of the offer period. 
   
     
     
         21 . The network device of  claim 20 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
 determine the digital content, the price or the required purchasing participation threshold based on the customer profile data.   
     
     
         22 . The network device of  claim 20 , wherein each of the multiple different devices comprises one of a set-top box (STB), a cellular telephone; a desktop, laptop, palmtop, or tablet computer; or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). 
     
     
         23 . The network device of  claim 20 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
 make the digital content available to the participating customers if the purchasing participation threshold is reached by the expiration of the offer period.